Russia accuses Telegram founder Pavel Durov of aiding terrorism: what the FSB alleges, why two agencies report different numbers, and what it means for Russians still using the app

Russia's Federal Security Service has accused Telegram founder Pavel Durov of aiding terrorism and placed him on an international wanted list, Meduza reports. The FSB alleges that Telegram refuses to delete channels used by Ukrainian intelligence for sabotage and cyberattacks, actions it says have caused significant casualties and billions in damages — allegations carrying a potential life sentence under Russian law. Complicating the picture: Russia's Investigative Committee reported nineteen teenagers detained after being recruited through a Telegram chatbot called Leonardo Daivinchik, yet the FSB claimed forty-six people were detained in related cases. Durov's response was theatrical — he briefly changed his Telegram avatar to a satirical image of himself as a terrorist, then swapped it back, while Telegram's official account posted a middle-finger photograph on X. This escalates ongoing tensions between the Kremlin and Telegram, which has been effectively blocked in Russia since mid-2025. Russian authorities have clarified that using Telegram itself is not a crime; criminal liability applies only to specific illegal acts carried out through the platform.

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